Multitasking: When More Equals Less

My Journal - Agatha Nolen

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I’m in the M.Div. program at Duke Divinity and this term I’ve chosen by personal focus to be on Simplicity as a spiritual discipline. Last week I looked at “Simplicity of Time”, wanting to return my relationship with time to a place of holiness. In reviewing Guenther’s chapter on simplicity, I kept coming back to her comment, “do I really need to know what the weather is going to be like in Berlin, today?”

I realized how much time I spend each day checking my phone for information that may be important, but not to me. I check the weather multiple times a day, even when it is clear, and I always want to see what my friends are up to on Facebook and Instagram. I’ve tried a few things last week to check my phone usage and I estimate I’ve saved at least one hour per day! That hour has been a time of rest/relaxation that I haven’t had in a long time. I’m planning to keep at it again this week to see if I can make it permanent. I realized also that I pick up my phone when I’m bored, or when I’m faced with some difficult homework assignment that I’m trying to avoid. Asking myself why I keep picking up my phone is important also in breaking those bad habits I’ve acquired.

This is what I will be focusing on this week.

1. I subscribe to a number of notifications of retail vendors that I frequent because I like to know when they have sales. But instead of clicking on the REI email each time just to “see if there is anything I need”, I’m first going to ask, “Is there anything I need from REI?” If the answer is “No,” I’m going to delete the email without going to their website to look at the sale items.

2. I’m going to unsubscribe from all notifications for vendors that I didn’t subscribe to (I’m sure someone sold my information as I didn’t sign up for all these notices). Although it takes time to unsubscribe, I think it will save time in the long run.

3. I’m only going to check the weather once each morning, unless there is a significant storm predicted for the area. Throughout the day, I can look out the window as I contemplate creation and figure out the weather.

4. I’m only going to check Facebook and Instagram each evening. (This should save me a lot of time). Why do I feel like I need to know everything about my friends the minute that it happens?

5. I’m going to eliminate multi-tasking as much as feasible. When I’m listening to music, I’m going to listen to music. When I’m writing a homework paper, I’m going to write. When I’m watching a movie, I’m going to watch the movie. When I eat dinner, I’m going to eat dinner. My life for a number of years has been structured around constantly trying to “get caught up”. I am much more productive and efficient when I can concentrate on one task and not let my mind wonder.

I’ll be back next week to share with you how it goes. I had great feedback last week as one of my readers suggested that we should make time each day for some “Sabbath”. I’m incorporating that into this week’s plan, too!

Blessings, my friend

Agatha